AJ Allmendinger Reinstated By NASCAR After Road To Recovery

Suspended indefinitely on July 24 after testing positive for amphetamines--allegedly taken unwittingly in a pill offered by a friend--AJ Allmendinger is once again eligible to race in NASCAR, and, presumably other series as well.

Allmendinger's suspension came as something of a shock to most of the NASCAR world, and seemingly most of all to Allmendinger himself. Nonetheless, he has taken the setback with grace, and is now looking to apply himself to the task of finding a seat in a race car.

Two months in NASCAR's "Road to Recovery" program have convinced officials that Allmendinger is clean and ready to get back behind the wheel.

"I want to thank everyone for their support through this entire process," said Allmendinger in a statement. "I appreciate that NASCAR created the the Road to Recovery program, and am grateful for the opportunity to return to competition. The Road to Recovery program was really helpful to me in getting my priorities reset away from the race track. And, honestly, that helped find my love of racing again and why I began racing in the first place. I’m looking forward to taking this experience and be better for it moving forward."

On Twitter, Allmendinger's thoughts were more personal, showing a great appreciation for his loyal fans.

"Thank you to all of my fans. I know I have been quiet these past couple months while I focused on my life, but I saw the support all of [you] were sending to me. It meant and means the world to me. It helped me not to give up even when there didn't seem like there was light at the end of the tunnel. It got me thru [sic] some of my hardest days. There still is a lot of work ahead for me but this at least [sic] the start."